Elease
Feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Elizabeth or Eliza.
Name Census estimates that about 816 living Americans carry the first name Elease. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elease today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elease births was 1923 (97 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elease. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Elease is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Eleases were born before 1970.
People living today
816
~ 1 in 420,042 Americans
Peak year
1923
97 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
2021 SSA rank
#15,923
Tracked since 1895
Census
Elease in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,009 people with the first name Elease, which placed it at #12,361 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#12,361
National first-name rank
People counted
1.0K
1,009 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
79.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elease
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elease is Black at 79.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Elease described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Elease at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American79.4% · 801
- White14.3% · 144
- Two or more races3.2% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Popularity
Elease: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elease from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 805 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elease by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elease during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Eleases live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. South Carolina, Georgia, Florida recorded the most babies named Elease, while Illinois, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 162 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elease
The name Elease is a unique and intriguing moniker with roots dating back to ancient times. Its origins can be traced to the Greek language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "eleutheros," which translates to "free" or "liberated." This connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who were born into freedom or had achieved a sense of personal liberation.
During the Byzantine era, the name Elease gained prominence among the upper echelons of society. Historical records indicate that it was particularly favored by noble families, who saw it as a symbol of their privileged status and freedom from the constraints imposed on the lower classes. One notable bearer of this name was Lady Elease of Trebizond, a influential noblewoman who lived in the 12th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and intellectual pursuits.
As the name Elease spread across various regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In ancient Persia, for instance, it was recorded as "Elaiza," while in certain parts of the Mediterranean, it took the form of "Elaysa." These regional adaptations reflect the cultural diversity and linguistic nuances that shaped the name over time.
The annals of history also reveal instances where the name Elease was associated with figures of religious significance. One such figure was Saint Elease of Verona, a 6th-century Christian martyr who was revered for her unwavering faith and sacrifices. Her life's story inspired generations of believers and solidified the name's association with spiritual freedom and devotion.
In the realm of literature, the name Elease found its way into the works of renowned authors. One notable example is the character of Lady Elease in the epic poem "The Faerie Queene" by Edmund Spenser, published in 1590. This fictional lady embodied the virtues of grace, beauty, and nobility, further enhancing the name's connotations of refinement and elegance.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Elease, leaving their marks on various fields. One such figure was Elease Forsythe (1890-1978), a pioneering American actress and dancer who graced the stages of Broadway in the early 20th century. Another was Elease McDougall (1925-2007), a Canadian artist renowned for her vibrant abstract paintings and contributions to the contemporary art scene.
While the name Elease may not be as common today as it once was, its rich historical tapestry and evocative meanings continue to captivate and inspire. From ancient Greek roots to literary references and notable bearers, this name carries a remarkable legacy that transcends time and cultural boundaries, embodying the spirit of freedom, nobility, and personal liberation.
People
Elease + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elease as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elease: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elease?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 816 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elease going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 420,042 US residents.
Is Elease a common name?
We classify Elease as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,047 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elease most popular?
The single biggest year for Elease was 1923, when 97 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elease is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Elease in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,009 people with the name Elease, or 0.33 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,361 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Elease in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Elease?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Elease appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,008 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Elease?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elease is Black at 79.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Elease most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Elease in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (801 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Elease in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elease a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elease in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Elease still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elease in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Elease can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Elease?
Want to know how many Americans are named Elease? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.